


when life gives you lemons

by crownless



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, duck song, have fun with this one, les mis is what im doing with my life, this is absolute trash, what am I doing with my life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-04
Updated: 2016-08-04
Packaged: 2018-07-29 08:32:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7677409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crownless/pseuds/crownless
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>les amis make a lemonade stand<br/>shenanigans ensue</p>
            </blockquote>





	when life gives you lemons

**Author's Note:**

> yes i am complete trash thanks

**DAY 0**

Enjolras was in the middle of one of his speeches involving what they should do to raise money for charity when Courfeyrac interrupts him, mid-sentence.

"Ureka!" He yells.

"Courfeyrac, what have we said about interrupting me?"

Completely ignoring Enjolras' protests, he continues, "Is that what you say when you have a good idea?"

He looks at Combeferre.

"Sure?" Combeferre confirms.

"Good, because I have a great idea."

"...Being?" Combeferre asks.

"Does it even involve the cause?" Enjolras is using his exasperated tone.

"We should run a lemonade stand to raise money for charity!"

Enjolras gives him a look. Trying to figure out if he's serious. It was Courfeyrac so he probably was but, who knows anymore? Combeferre is grinning at Courfeyrac and he writes down something on a piece of paper before speaking.

"I think that could actually work. At least partially. It could raise a fair amount of money if we did other charity events throughout the week."

"You've got to be kidding me. Five year olds do this to get a bike. How could it work?" Enjolras demands.

"Well, the five year old usually gets the bike eventually, right? They've got to be doing something right." Courfeyrac says, getting up to stand beside Enjolras, and patting him on the back.

Courfeyrac looks gleeful, so happy to be doing a lemonade stand of all things, but Enjolras can't say no to that look. Sighing, he resigns himself for the horror show sure to follow.

 

**DAY 1**

On the week of the charity event, they begin to set up the lemonade stand. Courfeyrac had actually convinced them to run it for two whole weeks. Enjolras couldn't figure out why. Enjolras also couldn't figure out how Enjolras had managed to get all of the weekday afternoon shifts for the entire first week, the others getting morning and weekend shifts. Well Bahorel, Feuilly, Jehan, Joly, Bossuet and Combeferre all had things to do in the afternoons but that's not like Enjolras didn't. Courfeyrac had said that he needed to spend some time with the lemonade ("become one with the lemonade, Enj"). But Enjolras guessed that no one else wanted to take evening shifts. Which, fair, neither did Enjolras. (But he was heading Les Amis de l'ABC and the charity event so he'd take one for the team.)

Courfeyrac had agreed to help him on the first day, because he claimed that Enjolras would "scare off all potential customers with that glare, hey why are you running this again?". He juiced some lemons and placed the sugar and ice on the table for Enjolras to prepare.

"Why did I agree to this again?" He mutters.

"Because you love me! And lemons," Courfeyrac laughs.

After Courfeyrac helps set up, he does a disappearing act. It's around three o'clock when his 'shift' actually starts. It is pretty quiet, students filing to and from class on the campus they chose to put the stand. Some of his own friends were in class nearby right now. Enjolras just happened to have this week off from classes in the afternoons for personal coursework.

He sits in his chair, asking people if they'd like any lemonade. He had a few takers and was pleased that it was getting some headway. Maybe this wasn't a complete waste of time. That was around the time a man with ruffled black hair and startlingly blue eyes walked up to the stand. He was smirking, which okay, probably should've been the first sign but Enjolras was a little... Distracted.

The man stands in front of him and Enjolras is speechless for a moment before he figures out that, yes, he is supposed to be talking. Oops.

"So, lemonade huh?" The man asks, grinning.

"Oh, uh. Yes. Lemonade. Would you like a glass?" Enjolras offers, cursing himself silently.

Then he remembered that people actually had to pay for this. He points to the sign with a price on it, too afraid to speak and embarrass himself again.

"I'll pass." With another smirk, the man drummed his fingers on the table before speaking again, "Do you got any grapes?"

Enjolras must look confused because the other man just laughs. It's a wonderful laugh, such a nice sound. Enjolras wants to hear it again and again and again.

"No, but we have lemonade. It's cold and it's fresh and it's all homemade?"

The man laughs again and disappears down the path. Enjolras is left sitting there, wanting to hear it again.

 

**DAY 2**

The next day, Enjolas is a little more eager to do his shift. He doubts he'll see the man again but, hey, a guy can dream right? He strolls over to Courfeyrac and Combeferre at the stand. They are both blushing and Enjolras feels like he's missed something but he doesn't say anything, just raises an eyebrow.

"Nothing! What NOTHING!" Courfeyrac shouts.

"Okay then," Enjolras says.

Combeferre is silent. His face just grows a deeper shade of red. What was going on with those two? They'd both been actin strange lately.

"Oh look at the time, three o'clock already? Oh, no, guess we'll have to finish this chat never!" Courfeyrac says, dragging Combeferre off on his arm.

"Don't you mean later?" Enjolas shouts after him.

Courfeyrac waves a hand and makes a break for it with Combeferre following close behind. That was weird. Enjolras shrugs it off; he had lemonade to sell.

He sits in his chair and checks the money jar. He's sort of sad to find that there really isn't much money in there. But he'd made a fair amount yesterday evening? Weird.

The next hour or so, nothing much happens. People come and go. Some leave him numbers on the money they give him, or try to write it on his arm. He's not interested by any of the requests. It's not that he didn't date, he just... Was specific.

There was a fair amount of people shuffling around on the quad between classes. Enjolras spots the man from yesterday right away. He walks up to the stand and smiles that same smile.

"Hey, got any grapes?" He asks. Again.

"The answer is still the same as yesterday, we just sell lemonade."

"Shame. You got a name then?"

"Everyone has a name." Enjolras replies.

He laughs. Enjolras is feeling strange again. He does want to make him laugh again though.

"Mm, do they?" The man says. He has smudges of paint on his face and hands. It was adorably endearing.

Before he realizes what he's doing, Enjolras is brushing the paint off of his face with his hand. He freezes. The man laughs again, blushes and looks at Enjolras again with those blue eyes. How pretty they were. Enjolras pulls back and sits back down, blushing a deep red.

"Uh, I'm so sorry, I don't know why I did that, I just-"

"It's okay."

The man smiles. Then smirks.

"I'm Grantaire."

Enjolras smiles. A nice name. He takes the Grantaire's hand and shakes it, "Enjolras."

Grantaire makes an appreciative sound.

"Well, as much as I'd like to stay and chat, I gotta jet. Plus you don't have any grapes."

 

**DAY 3**

Jehan had been selling the lemonade up until Enjolras' next shift. They smile at him as they trade shifts. Today there is also a fair amount of money in the bucket, yesterday's being a weird fluke.

"Hey Jehan?"

"Mm?"

"Do you know what's going on with Combeferre and Courf?" He asks.

There's a pause. Jehan searches his gaze, looking for something. Enjolras doesn't know what. Then they laugh at him. Pats him on the shoulder.

"You really are oblivious sometimes, E," Then there's a pause, "Ask them about it."

Then Jehan, too, is gone and Enjolras is left wondering how his friends keep disappearing on him. And of course, what the hell that meant. How could he not notice something between his two best friends? And something going on with both of them? Were they talking to each other about it? Enjolras just hoped they were both okay.

Grantaire arrived shortly after, a welcome distraction to his thoughts.

"Hey. Got any grapes?" There's the familiar smirk.

"Look. We just sell lemonade, it's all we've ever sold. Why not try it? Homemade especially?" Enjolras offers, trying to entice a customer and figure out what all this grapes business was about.

"How 'bout no," There's that familiar laugh.

Enjolras likes that it's familiar. Likes to hear it often. Wants to hear it again. Soon, maybe.

"Do you go here?" He asks instead.

"Was that your way of asking if I come here often?" Grantaire says with a smirk and when Enjolras sputters he continues, "I do. I'm an art major, you?"

"Poli-sci."

Grantaire laughs, "Sounds about right."

Then he turns on his heel and walks away. Again. Enjolras would see him tomorrow. He'd be prepared too.

 

**DAY 4**

"Hey, got any grapes?" Grantaire smirks, bringing Enjolras away from his work and to his job at the lemonade stand. He'd had things to do this morning. And maybe hadn't been focusing too hard on the lemonade stand. Not that he'd tell Courfeyrac. He'd probably die a slow death if he did.

Enjolras was getting a little infuriated. The only thing that Grantaire seemed to want to do was come up and annoy him. Were they in fourth grade? He wanted to talk to Grantaire, he seemed like such an interesting person. He kept disappearing though. Enjolras wished there was some way to make him stick around a little longer.

"Ask me that again and I'll find a way to make you stick around and drink the lemonade. I'm warning you. I can get duct tape or- or glue, I can figure it out. We don't have any grapes. Don't get too close."

Grantaire leans in as close as he can manage and whispers in Enjolras' ear, "Adios."

As an afterthought, he adds, "Oh and kinky."

He waves goodbye, yet again both leaving Enjolras stunned and unsure of himself. Enjolras is always sure and something about Grantaire makes him feel unsteady. He doesn't know how to feel about that.

Later in the day, Jehan wanders over to the lemonade stand on a break between classes.

"Anything interesting happen today, E?"

"Well, there's this guy who keeps coming back to ask for grapes." Enjolras explains.

"Oh?"

Enjolras tells Jehan everything. He loves that Jehan just understands what he's talking about. He tells them about Grantaire. They are silent for a while, processing the information.

"It sort of sounds like you like him. And that he likes you."

"What? Why would he put so much effort into trying to annoy me?"

"It's like when you're in kindergarden and you pull on the pigtails of your crush. Same thing here... Just with more grapes." It's Enjolras' turn to process. He thinks that they might be right, maybe he did like Grantaire, maybe even Grantaire liked him.

"What should I do?"

"Whatever you want. Ask him out, might be good for you," Jehan advises, then walks back to class.

Jehan was always great at advice. Maybe Enjolras would take them up on it.

 

**DAY 5**

"Hey." Grantaire says.

"Hey," Enjolas replies easily, "Want some lemonade?"

Grantaire laughs, "Well no. But do you got any glue?"

Enjolras is yet again confused. He doesn't know if it's just because he's nervous or maybe it's just because that's a weird question.

"What? No, why. Oh." Then he gets it. His comment from yesterday.

Grantaire smiles. Leans in. "Got any grapes?"

"You're ridiculous," Enjolras says, laughing, "I did want to ask you something though."

"Yes?"

Grantaire's stare is beautiful and if it didn't make him more nervous he probably would've stared longer. Instead, he pulls out the grapes he brought with him. Grantaire makes a face and chuckles.

"It'd be really grape if you would go out with me." Enjolras states. Then hands over the grapes.

Grantaire looks shocked. Then it fades into a smile.

"Well, when life gives you lemons," Grantaire pulls Enjolras in for a kiss.

Okay, so maybe he liked him back. That was a relief.

"Is that a yes?" Enjolras asks when they come up for air.

"Yes. And, hey, do you know anywhere I could get some lemonade?"

Enjolras laughs for a long time.

 

**LATER**

It had taken a while for Enjolras to figure out the Combeferre-Courfeyrac situation. It had actually been Grantaire who had pointed it out. They were dating. Grantaire had seen it.

Enjolras asked them about it and they thought he knew. On that day at the lemonade stand Courfeyrac had used it as an opportunity to ask Combeferre out and then replaced the words on the stand to "Kissing Booth - Closed". They'd made out the entire shift. That's why they hadn't made any money that day. It's also why they'd blushed when they'd thought Enjolras had seen them. Everything seemed to click then. Enjolras got everything. He was so happy for them. And for himself, too.

Since asking Grantaire out, Enjolras and him were very happy together and on every anniversary, Enjolras conjured up some grapes and Grantaire found some lemons. They would make grape lemonade. It was kind of as bad as it sounds but they don't care at all.

 

**END.**


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